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Content Marketing Examples That Move Customers Through The Funnel

Content marketing goes beyond just writing blog posts, newsletters, or shareable social media posts. In fact, it’s a crucial element of growing and developing your audience, as well as your revenue stream.

Compared to paid search, content marketing produces three times as many leads per dollar spent, according to a study by Kapost. A content marketing strategy that accounts for your business goals, will help you spend less on paid ads while increasing organic search traffic, improve brand awareness, and improve your conversion rates.

Most importantly, content is an effective marketing tool for any stage in the buyer’s journey, not just generating new leads.

The Goal of Content Marketing

Content marketing offers a unique opportunity to reach people at any stage of the buyer’s journey — awareness, consideration, or decision. This provides room for your content to be tailored or promoted in ways that fit different audiences which develops an organic way for people to find your site, engage with your brand, and become more familiar with your products or services.

In the end, content serves the purpose of accomplishing your business goals in an organic way with potentially long-term lead generation. According to HubSpot, as much as 90% of their new leads are generated through offers that are not actively promoted. Optimizing key landing pages, blog posts, or other key website content, will improve your SERP ranking which in turn drives leads long after the first campaign.

How does Content Marketing Improve Conversion?

Often in marketing, a funnel is used to describe the buyer’s journey or conversion from brand awareness to conversion. There are four primary stages of content marketing:

Discovery - Brand awareness

Consideration - Attracting potential customers

Conversion - Transactions of services or products

Retention - Returning customers and organic endorsements

In addition to including your general business goals, content marketing breaks down the buyer’s journey into specific categories in order to develop a tactic for reaching the right people at the right time with the right content.

Incorporating this conversion process into your content development improves your brand-reputation by establishing your company as an industry expert and primary resource through high-value articles, videos, infographics, and more.

Examples of Content Marketing Avenues

From discovering your website through a search engine result to actively seeking information on your site and connecting with your content and finally purchasing a product or service, a content marketing agency will develop content with a clear purpose that educates.

Here are some examples of different types of content for each stage of the funnel.

BLOGS — Discovery Stage

Blog posts are a powerful tool to increase organic search, promote social shares, and showcase your company’s knowledge and expertise. Using search engine optimization, you can attract prospective customers who are just becoming familiar with your company. Other content formats for the discovery stage includes: podcasts, infographics, press releases, videos, email newsletters, and social media content.

WHITEPAPERS — Consideration stage

Whitepapers are informational and authoritative guides that discuss a specific topic by presenting a specific issue and a proposed solution. Whitepapers, case studios, product videos with statistics, or best practices are effective for engaging prospective customers in the consideration stage. Such content connects the problem they may be trying to solve by clearly stating how your company can offer an effective solution.

INTERACTIVE GUIDES — Conversion stage

At the conversion stage, your potential customers are ready to make a decision. Interactive guides, webinars, customer endorsements and reviews, as well as demos or free trials are great content to present at this point. You’re showing how buying your product or service will not only solve their problem, but provide improvement. It’s the final push.

EMAIL NEWSLETTER — Retention stage

Once your customer has purchased, your content needs to keep them engaged. According to a survey of retail businesses by WBR Digital, 80 percent of businesses rely on email marketing for customer retention. Through segmented email newsletters, you can continue to provide special offers and incentives for future purchases or referrals; how-tos; helpful tips; insider guides; or sneak peeks to new company products or services. This is a great way to improve your brand loyalty.

Creating a successful content marketing funnel isn’t easy and it takes time to grow and refine. But, by better understanding your audience, setting clear business goals, and incorporating them into your marketing strategy, content can prove to be an invaluable asset to your company’s success.

Bayshore Solutions can help you grow your business and elevate your company above your competitors. With more than 20 years of combined industry knowledge and experience, our content marketing agency services can help you create a strategy that facilitates growth. Call (866) 352-4791 or email us at info@bayshoresolutions.com.